What Kind of Fitness Program is Best for Weight Loss?
By Shantih Coro | Published on February 22, 2011 | 0 Comments
It’s no secret that increasing physical activity is an important part of losing weight and achieving long-term weight management success. But what kind of workout is best for losing and maintaining weight? According to Shantih Coro of Mind Body Weight Loss, an integrative weight loss clinic in Miami Dade County, there’s no single “right” way to exercise for weight loss. The keys to success, he says, are to be consistent and progress at one’s own pace.
The Basics
The team at Mind Body Weight Loss believe that the best approach to fitness is one that first educates participants about the best ways to exercise, and then engages the entire body in calorie-burning activities.
Fitness, Coro says, is just a tool to help clients achieve their health and weight goals. While it helps them burn calories, it simultaneously helps improve body image and confidence, both of which reinforce an ongoing sense of accomplishment and encourage continued participation.
“We focus on helping to change clients’ body image. We also incorporate yoga and meditation to develop other aspects of whole-body wellbeing. It’s important, at the end of the process, for clients to find themselves in a better position not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally,” Coro says.
Creating a Sense of Community
Mind Body Weight Loss also focuses on creating a sense of community. This is accomplished through group meetings to address psychological and emotional barriers to weight loss. These meetings take place once a week and work in harmony with the program’s exercise and nutrition components.
Fitness equipment is available every day, and participants are encouraged to make exercise a daily priority. To ensure accountability, clients check in at the gym when they arrive, and they’re given a certain amount of activity that they’re expected to perform that day. To reinforce the sense of community, weekly group fitness classes are also available.
Self-Paced Progression
At Mind Body Weight Loss, clients participate in a progressive program that takes into account the individual’s current level of physical fitness. “Each participant starts at a different level,” explains Coro. “We begin by assessing each client’s abilities and challenges. This is done because preserving clients’ health must be our first priority.”
There is no good one-size-fits-all approach to exercise, Coro says. Once the needs and current condition of each participant have been assessed, a progressive exercise program is created that begins with teaching fundamentals and then focuses on calorie-burning activities. In order to ensure that participants are able to remain in the program, it is essential that they not be pushed to participate in activities that their bodies are not able to handle. Instead, each participant progresses at his or her own pace until fitness goals are reached.
“If we push too hard, and someone gets injured two weeks into the program, they’ll have to drop out,” Coro explains. “Then all of their progress goes down the drain. So we have to increase intensity incrementally.”
The entire Mind Body Weight Loss program is designed to provide participants with the physical, mental and nutritional tools they need not only to lose weight initially, but to maintain their new weight for the long term. The program doesn’t make false promises about quick weight loss, Coro says, but instead offers a real and permanent solution for improving clients’ health, appearance, and emotional wellbeing.
*Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.